Jail and Rs.50,000 fine for cutting trees in Shimla

By IANS

Shimla : Anyone found destroying or cutting a tree in Shimla may face up to one year in prison and a maximum fine of Rs.50,000.


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The Shimla municipal corporation has come up with a draft law to this effect. The act is likely to be passed soon, officials said Friday.

Besides cutting and poisoning trees, those found guilty of lopping branches could also face jail and fines, officials said.

Environmentalists have voiced concern in recent years at the growing number of cases of residents poisoning trees with chemicals or hammering nails into the barks of deodars and Himalayan pine trees, which slowly kills these green giants.

Deodars and similar tree species often take decades to grow to their potential size and so protecting them is vital.

There is also a proposal to leave a gap of at least five metres between a tree and a building.

Once the act is passed, a seven-member team headed by a senior forest department official will examine all violations of the law.

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